We Could Be Immortals
by Dragonqueen9001
Summary: What if Tadashi hadn't died in the fire? What if he only went into hiding? What if he disappeared to protect Hiro? The story that could have been...
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello, True Believers! As you can tell, this is a sort-of AU of Big Hero 6. Most of the early focus will be on Tadashi and Sakura, and their adventures. Not to worry though, the BH6 gang will show up often. And there will be lots of appearances by Marvel characters as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my own ideas and original characters. I trust that this will not need to be repeated, so don't go "You didn't put a disclaimer!" or some such, capisce?**

**Prologue**

In the back alleys of San Fransokyo, Hiro had just won a bot fight against the self-proclaimed "King of the Ring" Yama, much to the large man's ire. Sakura had been telepathically keeping tabs on Hiro since he took up bot fighting, and she could sense that he was in danger. She knew that Tadashi was on his way back to the café, and as providence was evidently smiling upon them that day, he was no more than a minute from Hiro's current location. Sensing this, Sakura sent a mental warning about the situation to Tadashi.

"Tadashi! Hiro is in danger. Sending a fix on his location now." Tadashi swiftly adjusted his speed and steered to the alley Hiro was in.

After a short yet dramatic alleyway chase, a subsequent detaining by the police, and as much of a chewing as one can get from Aunt Cass before she gets distracted, Sakura received a text from Tadashi, and knew Tadashi had probably taken Hiro to the "nerd lab".

She had a feeling that Tadashi would probably convince or inspire Hiro to invent something and unveil it to the world at the showcase for Tadashi's college. She then decided now would probably be a good time to get some much-needed sleep.

**A/N: Sooo, I decided to put the character rundown here, instead of a whole chapter (like it was) because I felt it flowed better, and was more in line with the rules on chapter content on .**

**Sakura Yang (OC)**

Hair: Black

Eyes: Green

Age: 21

Ethnicity: Half-Japanese, half-French

Hero name: Spirit Saber

Powers: Telepathy/Telekinesis. Her telekinesis at current levels could lift, say, a beam of a building (or herself) but not something like a battleship.

S/O: Tadashi Hamada

Status at start of the story: In an established and loving relationship w/Tadashi.

**Tadashi Hamada**

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Age: 21

Ethnicity: Japanese

Hero name: Menagerie

Powers: Can shape-shift partially or completely into an animal. But he will also have the proportionate strength of weakness that animal. His senses are also enhanced somewhat (permanently), though not as much as they are in animal form. Ex; in human form, his sense of smell could be 10 times that of a human, as opposed to, say, his wolf form. (Something like 100 times that of a human or some such number.)

S/o: Sakura Yang

**Toyataru Yang (Sakura's father**)

Hair: Black

Eyes: Green

Age:

When Sakura's mom died: 31

Now: 44

Ethnicity: Japanese

Powers: Slight control over electronic devices; can walk through walls.

(Former) Hero name: Matrix

Occupation: Current CEO of Yang Enterprises

Spouse: Maria Yang (Deceased)

**Maria Yang (Sakura's Mom)**

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Hazel

Age and Cause of Death: 32; Terrorist bombing while she was on a volunteer trip to Africa

Ethnicity: French

**As for the other characters, not much will change, except that Go-Go Tamago will be 19 at the start of the story. The reasons for this will become clear with time. That's all I need to say for now, besides this: Hold onto your hats, True Believers!**


	2. The Showcase

_Italics indicate lines from the movie_

Several weeks later

Sakura waited impatiently in the café. What in heaven's name was taking him so long! Finally, the man in question came down the stairs leading to the café from the house above it.

"Sorry I'm late Sakura."

"It's okay Tadashi. Your studies probably caught up with you again."

"Yup. You read my mind."

"Actually, I didn't. But then again, I don't need to."

"What do you mean?"

"You have a very expressive and attractive face."

"Well, thank you for the compliment, Miss Yang."

"Now, let's see you return the favor, Mister Hamada."

"Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is."

"Hmmmm…Well, I can say with certainty that in all of my twenty-one years, I have never met a kinder, cleverer, or more drop-dead gorgeous woman. And I sincerely mean every word of that."

Before she could respond, however, Hiro and the gang interrupted the conversation.

"Hey, anything new with you two lovebirds?" said Fred, nudging a now rather annoyed Tadashi with his elbow.

"Yeah, you two have been dating for what, something like three years now? It's honestly surprising that Tadashi hasn't proposed yet." interjected Go-Go. This caused the lovebirds in question to blush rather adorable shades of red. Sakura felt it was probably time to change the subject.

"Oh, um, the student showcase is today, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited to see Hiro impress Callaghain with his microbots." said Tadashi, grateful for the change of subject.

"I-I certainly hope so." stammered Hiro.

"Ah, you'll be fine." said Go-Go

Later, at the showcase

As Hiro, Tadashi, Sakura, and the gang wheeled the garbage cans full of microbots into the student showcase building, it was fairly obvious that Hiro was excited, but also more than a little bit nervous.

"_You nervous, little bro?_" said Tadashi.

"_You're talking to an ex bot-fighter. Takes a lot more than this to rattle me_." responded Hiro.

"_Oh look at him, he's so tense!_" said Honey Lemon.

"_Do you need something little dude? Bottle of water? Breath mint? Fresh pair of underpants?_" asked Wasabi.

"A fresh pair of underpants? Dude, you've got issues." interjected Sakura.

"_What can I say? I come prepared_." responded Wasabi.

"Hiro, you've got this." said Sakura.

"Yup. _So stop freaking out and woman up_." said Go-Go. Once they had put the garbage cans near the stage, Fred said with a grin,

"_I haven't done laundry in six months. One pair lasts me four days. I go front, I go back, I go inside out, and then I go front and back_." Wasabi, meanwhile, looked as though he was about to throw up.

"_That is both gross and awesome_." stated Tadashi. Sakura just shot her boyfriend a "what" look.

"Don't encourage him. Also, Hiro, have I told you about the time I caught Sakura and Tadashi making out in the nerd lab?" asked Go-Go

"Seriously?" responded Hiro.

"It was one time! And we weren't even making out! Also, did you really have to tell him that?" interjected a very red-faced Sakura. Just then, the speaker sounded.

"_Hiro Hamada, to the stage please_." After Hiro finished his presentation, turned down Krei's offer, and was thereby accepted into the school, he and Tadashi took a meandering walk around the campus, ending up on a bridge over a pond.

"_I know what you're gonna say. 'I should be proud of myself because I'm finally using my gifts for something important._'" stated Hiro.

"_Nah, I was just gonna tell you that your fly was down for the whole show._"

"_Oh, ha ha ha-Waitaminute, what?!_" With this he, erm, dealt with the problem. After which, he jabbed a snickering Tadashi in the arm with his elbow.

All of a sudden, Tadashi snapped up straight, like a dog hearing its master in pain. He could smell an all too familiar scent. Smoke.

"Something's wrong." With that he sprinted off, with almost inhuman speed, in the direction of the showcase building. When he arrived there, the sight of flames licking up the structure of the building, starting to magnify and swell, sent his instincts into overdrive, and led him to this question: where was Sakura?

Her scent was nowhere to be found outside, he could tell that much. She was in the building, more likely than not, trying to rescue other people, relying on her years of experience as a hero to evacuate the building. Without a second thought, he leapt into the flames. Hiro, having just arrived at the courtyard, saw him go into the flames. He would have run the building and leapt into the flames himself, had Go-Go not held him back.

As Tadashi leapt into the flames that were fast becoming a raging inferno, he covered himself with heat-resistant scales, and his eyes, mouth, and nose adjusted so as to filter out the stinging smoke.

Not far inside the building, he noticed a male figure that the flames seemed to be emanating from, and for one terrible moment, he and the figure locked eyes, the light of recognition and long-standing hatred gleaming in the irises of both. The figure smiled malevolently, and Tadashi shifted his focus back onto finding Sakura. Running into one of the hallways nearest the back, Tadashi heard a female voice, no more than thirty feet away. It said "Tadashi, is that you? Are you all right? We've got to get out of here, my force fields can only filter out so much fire and smoke."

Running to her, he said "Sakura! I'm okay, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I think everyone is out of the building. The smoke and flames make it hard to concentrate, and it's no easy feat keeping up the force fields and psi-scan the building at the same time."

"Okay. We should make our way to the exit, then."

"I definitely agree." Running, leaping, and dodging through the raging flames, the pair saw that the once harmless hallway to the door was now a gauntlet of fiery doom, and the door, the one way out of the deathtrap, was becoming more and more surrounded by flame every second. If they made one wrong move, they could quite possibly die.

As they approached the door, a sizable beam, as if out of thin air, came crashing down right in front of the door, seemingly blocking their one way out.

"Tadashi! Can you ram the door down?" cried Sakura.

"No, the doors here are wood with a reinforced metal core and they have industrial-grade hinges. I should know, I helped install them last year!"

"Wait, I might be able move the beam and use that as a battering ram." With that, the beam started to lift and move to a position perpendicular to the door.

"Get ready to run as soon as the door's down." The beam started to move as far back as the hallway would allow, and Sakura began to count down.

"Three. Two. One. Zero." On zero, she sent the large beam hurtling at the door as fast as it would go. The door flew open, allowing the pair top swiftly exit the building. It was providence that they exited the inferno that was the building when they did, because no more than five seconds later, the building exploded in a tower of flame.

About a minute and a half later, Sakura, who, along with Tadashi, had been knocked down by the blast, struggled dizzily up to her feet. Tadashi quickly followed suit. After they had regained their footing, Sakura asked "Are you alright, Tadashi? We should get out of the open before anyone sees us."

"That sounds like a good plan at the moment." Finding shelter from prying eyes or ears in a nearby copse of trees, they decided to discuss what they were going to do.

"Sakura, you know I have to go back there! I can't leave my little brother there, wondering what happened to me!"

"Tadashi, I understand that. But you know as well as I do that every day we spend near all of them puts them, and us, in that much more danger. This could be the opportunity we've been waiting for. It'll get them out danger, at least somewhat." Tadashi sighed.

"Alright. I suppose we really don't have a choice, given the circumstances being what they are."

"Good. Wait, what exactly do you mean by that?" Sakura said with an air of suspicion.

"Well, Pyro was in the building, and I'm fairly certain he saw me transform, though at this point he probably thinks I'm dead. I'm sure that he's the one that started the fire."

"Pyro?! But I thought that he was in prison! How did he break out?"

"I'm fairly certain the answer to that question is, 'Brotherhood of Evil Mutants', Sakura." Tadashi deadpanned.

"You have a point there. But this presents a real threat. Pyro can't know that you're alive. So, I say that you're dead to everybody, except for a select few, who we'll tell the truth. That you are 'gone'. That way, it won't be a complete lie. Not even Hiro can know."

"You do realize we'll have to keep up this deception for possibly months or even years, correct?"

"Yes, which is why I'll slowly distance myself from Hiro and the others. While we're at it, we should maybe change your hero costume, since you don't exactly have a steady supply of sleeveless hoodies or jeans. It was time for a change, in any case."

"Here's hoping we pull this off. See you soon, my cherry blossom, and know that I love you." And, so he pulled her in for a swift kiss. Once they pulled away from one another, Sakura replied "Right back at you, my draconic hero." And responded with a kiss of her own. They then went their separate ways: Sakura on foot to find the group, and Tadashi by air to one of their safe houses.

**A/N: ****Aaaand that's a wrap for this chapter! Sweet cheese and crackers, that took so long to write… This is my first fanfic, so tell me what you thought in the reviews, 'kay? I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! Till' next time, True Believers! **


	3. Die in thy lap, be buried in thine eyes

**A/N: Sorry about it taking so long to update, but I'm writing this as a hobby, and it's a little hard to be consistent. Now that I've said that, let's get on with the story!**

Ringing. Blurred voices. Sounds and images slowly coalescing into a cohesive whole, then rushing together at speeds so rapid that a maglev train would be jealous. Hiro experienced all of these, his agile mind suddenly seizing one fact with dread clarity - Tadashi was gone. Had Go-Go not stopped him - held him back - he would have suffered a very similar fate. He would have been burned so badly that almost nothing would have been left.

None of that mattered to Hiro, however. He had, in the space of an hour, felt both great triumph and great loss, the raging hurricane of emotions spilling over in a primal cry of anguish. Hiro then slumped, half-conscious, into Go-Go's arms, as she stood soundless, a pillar of silent strength and empathy.

The chaos of the explosion's aftermath abating, if only slightly, allowed a familiar voice to carry to Go-Go, who was holding the now-sleeping Hiro in her arms. It was Sakura, her shouts stirring a spark of hope in Go-Go's tired form.

As Sakura jogged closer, she exclaimed, "Go-Go! Are you alright? Is Hiro with you?"

Go-Go, with an audible hitch in her voice, responded wearily, "Yeah, I'm fine, just exhausted. Hiro's right here, he's just asleep. Passed out from shock more than anything else, I think. Is….Tadashi with you?" Sakura shook her head, the look in her downcast eyes telling her everything she needed to know. Tadashi was gone.

"He's…gone." Go-Go hoped that she was maybe, just maybe, lying, and that Tadashi wasn't gone, that he would come running around the corner any minute, alive and well; but as far as she could ascertain, there wasn't a hint of a lie in her voice. This was, for Go-Go, what enforced the reality of the situation – Tadashi was gone and there wasn't anything any of them could do about it.

-o0o-

Later that night

Sakura strode down the well-lit corridors of the Maira Yang Hospital, named so for her deceased mother, Maira. She had been checked for injuries by the doctors, and they had assured her that she was fine, and that she could go home whenever she wanted. She had assured them that she would, but that she would check on her friends first, some of whom had to stay the night.

As she entered the room Honey Lemon and Go-Go were sharing, Go-Go said, "So, you're already up and about, I see. Also, do you know how much this hospital stay is gonna cost? I might need to dip into my emergency fund if it's a lot."

"Well, normally it would run on the more expensive side of things, but my dad owns this hospital, so I can have the fee waived." To say Go-Go was somewhat stunned would be something of an understatement.

"Really?!"

"Really."

Honey Lemon, in the voice of one who has seemingly had the proverbial rug ripped out from under them, interjected, "I-I can't help but notice that neither of you seems particularly shaken. Especially you, Sakura. I mean, you just lost your boyfriend!"

Go-Go responded first. "Honey Lemon, you know as well as anyone that I…I am not the most open of people. But you do make a good point. Sakura, for someone that just lost their significant other, you seem way too cheerful."

Sakura responded, "I guess it really hasn't hit home just yet. I know that it can take a while for my brain to process grief. After all, that's how it was for me when…when my mother died. She's one that this hospital is named for." Honey Lemon brought her hand to her mouth as she sucked in a breath.

"Oh, Sakura. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. Not very many people know that. I've had a long time to process it, though. She died when I was seven. She was on a missionary trip to Africa, and the village she was in was attacked. As far they can tell, she was killed, and though a body was never found, there was a lot of spilled blood in the medical tent that was a DNA match to hers."

"Oh my goodness, it must have been horrible to hear about that."

"I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty shocking and horror-inducing. I had trouble sleeping for a while after that. But anyhow, how are you two feeling?"

"Physically or emotionally?" deadpanned Go-Go.

"Physically, because I'm sure that your emotions are all over the place right at the moment."

"Other than a few bruises and scratches? Just peachy." responded Go-Go.

"Okay then. I'm going home now, but call me if you need anything, all right?"

"Sure. Well, see you later, I guess."

-o0o-

After Sakura arrived at her rather spartan apartment, (which for an heiress like herself, held surprisingly little in the way of furniture or personal effects), she sank down on her sofa and let out a long sigh. This was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever done. Rouge scientists, power-mad dictators, and even Thanos himself had nothing on this. Suddenly, there was a tap on the glass door that lead to her balcony.

Sakura glanced over, and lo and behold, there was Tadashi, with a wry smile gracing his lips.

As Sakura opened the door, she said "What's up? I thought you were going to the safe house."

"Well, there was something I wanted to ask you first. May I step inside first, though? It's a bit cooler out here than I was planning on."

"Well, that's no great surprise, seeing as your jacket got burnt up in the fire, leaving you in jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, all of which look like they've been viciously mauled by the world's biggest ash pile. So yes, you may step inside."

As Tadashi moved to step inside, he somehow smacked his face on the glass door in the same manner that a wave crashes on a shore; that is to say, his face met the door rather violently, and he subsequently fell backwards.

"Oh my goodness, are you all right, Tadashi?"

Holding his nose, Tadashi then drew his hand away, revealing steady dribble of blood from said facial orifice.

He responded, "I'm fine, just a bloody nose."

"Go sit down on the sofa and let me get you a tissue or five, all right?"

"Okay."

After the bleeding had stopped, Sakura asked, "So, what was it you wanted to ask me? I must be important if you came to my apartment like this."

"It is, trust me. This isn't quite how I had planned it, but now is as good a time as any, I suppose." Tadashi fished in his pocket for something, and held it up to chest level in a closed fist.

"Sakura Yang, you are the light of my life, my everything, the best superhero partner anyone could ask for, and to me at least, the most gorgeous woman on the face of the earth. Will you do me the ultimate honor of becoming my wife?" As he said this, he slowly opened his hand to reveal a diamond ring.

Sakura brought her hands to her mouth, and, with tears of pure joy and happiness glimmering in her emerald eyes, said, "Yes. Yes, a hundred, hundred thousand times, yes! I'll marry you!" After he helped her put the ring on her left hand, she proceeded to tackle him in a hug and several joyful kisses. As they pulled away from each other, heart beating quickly and loudly, Sakura said, "See you soon, my dragon."

"As you wish, my blossom."

And so they parted ways for the time being.

**A/N: I swear I'm gonna die of the sheer fluffiness these two create. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and look forward to you thoughts on it, True Believers! Cookies for anyone who got the Princess Bride reference. Please review, True Believers!**


	4. Cupid is no archer

**A/N: This story is long, and will most likely update slowly. Also, points if you get the occasional references in the chapter titles. Now onwards, True Believers!**

The next day

Sakura nonchalantly approached the safe house where Tadashi was staying for the moment, enjoying her walk in the early morning air. She had just finished up a few errands, one of which was telling her father the actual story of the fire, and informing him that she was getting married soon. Her father was more than overjoyed, as he had become rather fond of the idea of Tadashi becoming his son-in-law. Which was fortunate, as before the two had started dating, his stance on the subject of a boy dating his daughter had been, in his words, "I want grandbabies, but I also want to murder any boy that comes within thirty feet of you." Thankfully, he had swiftly taken a liking to Tadashi, though there was still the occasional threat of serious bodily harm if he dared hurt his precious little Sakura in any way.

After unlocking and going through the back door, she opened the safe in the wall of the room, typed in the 8-digit code on the keypad inside, and stepped through the doorway, which had been heretofore hidden by a large cabinet, as soon as it opened. Once safely inside, with the hidden door safely back in its place behind the cabinet, Sakura let out a quiet giggle. Tadashi was sprawled out, fast asleep on the couch. His hair looked like it could use a shower and a combing, and he had obviously been exhausted by the time he reached the safe house, as he was still in the same ash-stained shirt and jeans from the day before.

Sakura, after shrugging off her jacket and removing her shoes, padded softly over to the small kitchenette, intent on making some breakfast, seeing as Tadashi had almost certainly not had breakfast yet, and she was feeling a bit peckish.

As the tender hiss of bacon frying became audible, and the scent of eggs being cooked began to permeate the air, Sakura heard Tadashi stir. After he groggily arose from the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he seemed to register Sakura's presence in the room. Padding over, he wrapped up Sakura in a gentle hug from behind.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." said a smiling Sakura.

"Good morning to you too, blossom. What time is it?" asked Tadashi, kissing the top of her head softly.

"It's about 8:30 in the morning."

"What are you doing up this early? You've stated many a time that you are not a morning person."

Sakura rolled her eyes and smirked good-naturedly.

"I had some errands to run."

"Such as?"

"Oh, just getting a few food items from the store, telling my dad that you're alive, and that, yes, he's definitely invited to the wedding, provided he wears his old superhero suit. Though I doubt that'll be a problem. In fact, he seemed especially excited about the suit part."

"Ah."

"Anyways, you are desperate need of a shower. So how about you grab a quick shower and put on some clean clothes while I keep making breakfast."

"Mmkay. You're the boss." replied Tadashi, a playful smirk evident on his face. He then softly released Sakura from his embrace.

"You darn well bet I am. I've got a spatula and I'm not afraid to use it." joked Sakura with an equally playful smirk. This earned a laugh, albeit a slightly nervous one. Tadashi knew that while she was joking at the moment, she could quite easily carry out on her threat, given the chance. With that as motivation, Tadashi quickly made his way over to the bathroom.

After Tadashi had showered and put on clean clothes, and the pair had eaten breakfast, the two sat and talked for a while.

"You know, it's kind of a weird feeling, knowing that I'm your fiancée – oh gosh, I get such a giddy feeling every time I say that!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Believe me, I'm in the same boat. My brain is still sort of processing the fact that you said yes, honestly." responded a faintly red-faced Tadashi.

"On a less happy note, I have to attend your funeral in a week."

"That sounds like _fun_." said Tadashi sarcastically.

"Trust me, it's even less fun than it sounds, as I'll have to give an award-worthy performance to make it convincing."

"It can't be _that_ bad, can it?"

"Yes it can. It'll be a room full of geniuses. They won't be as observant as usual, but they're still geniuses. They're still going to be sharper than your average person."

"Ah. On a completely different note, we should redesign my suit, like you suggested. I mean, I like the facemask and goggles of the old disguise, but everything else needs a change. I'm thinking maybe a long coat, like down to my ankles with an adaptable fabric for both that and the suit, so it doesn't rip when I change."

"I like that idea. Though at this point, anything's better than what you had been wearing."

"Okay, then if that's settled, then I think we're good. See you soon, blossom."

"Same to you, dragon." responded Sakura as she gave Tadashi a goodbye kiss.

-o0o-

One week later…

Sakura let out a heavy sigh as she shrugged on a dark, formal trench coat and put on a black wide-brimmed hat. Today was going to be anything but easy. She got in her car and started it up, the trusty little Miata purring to life. Miatas had been a favorite of her mother's, and Sakura had inherited her love of the spunky little vehicles. Setting off, Sakura tried not to let her thoughts stray too far into sorrow or self-pity. There was a time and place for that, and this was neither. She had the performance of a lifetime to put on, and by golly, she was going be convincing!

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot of the church where the memorial service was being held, and parked. As she was exiting the car, she nearly hit Fred with the door by accident.

"Oh, I'm sorry Fred! I didn't mean to almost smack you with the door."

"I'm fine, you probably just didn't see me there."

"Ok. Want walk in together? I would really appreciate the company."

"Sure." said Fred in an extraordinarily subdued manner, for him at least.

As they walked the slight distance to the church, the two friends struck up a quiet conversation about the most meaningless things, such as the weather, or the price of marshmallow crème, just to keep their minds off of heavier things. It was a slight relief from sorrow, and they welcomed it gladly. They continued talking once they stepped inside, and their conversation stopped only as the memorial service began.

When the service reached the point at which friends and family were invited to share about Tadashi's life, Sakura was one of the first to rise from her seat and make her way to the microphone.

When it was her turn, she began, "My name is Sakura Yang. Many of you may know me. I was Tadashi Hamada's girlfriend of three years. I knew Tadashi better than most, and I can say with certainty that he was one of the kindest, most selfless people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, and there will never be another quite like him. He helped people even in their darkest moments. It was one of his greatest strengths. He truly embodied the scripture, 'Greater love has no man than this- that he lay down his life for his friends.' It's what killed him. H-he-" at this point, Sakura had to take a second to compose herself. Once that was sufficiently accomplished, Sakura continued, albeit with an audible hitch in in her voice, "He saved my life in the fire, but in return, h-he lost his. I will never be able to repay my debt to him for saving me. Also, I discovered a few days ago that he was planning to propose to me, and I know in my heart of hearts that I would have unreservedly said yes, and now, I-I'll never get that chance. Thank you for your time." Sakura returned to her seat, ugly tears threatening to stream in rivulets down her face.

After the service ended, and the empty coffin lowered, Sakura returned to the now seemingly empty church, her face now as dry as the Mojave Desert.

"Come to confess your sins?" came the familiar voice of one Tadashi Hamada, who was currently leaning against the open doorframe.

"I don't know, what would you have me confess to?" responded Sakura, her voice as silky as chinchilla fur.

"Hmm…..the grand theft of my heart, perhaps?" countered Tadashi in an equally smooth tone.

"I have no control over that, but anyways, it is good to see you, my dragon, and may I say you are looking very fine today. The new costume design suits you quite well," said Sakura, her eyes sliding up and down Tadashi's form approvingly.

"I'm glad you like it, as I wasn't quite sure what I ought to wear to my own funeral," joked Tadashi.

"It has been fun talking, but I ought to be going," said Sakura as she moved towards the door. When she reached the door, she found Tadashi blocking the path.

"I'll let you through, but only if you give me a kiss," said Tadashi, a low purr emanating softly from his throat as he lowered his mask.

"Alright, if you insist," responded Sakura before she leaned in and placed a tender, yet chaste kiss upon Tadashi's lips.

After they broke apart, Tadashi moved aside as promised, and said, "See you soon, blossom."

"You too, dragon."

At the same time, in the cemetery, Hiro was staring sorrowfully at the cloudless blue sky that had been beaming happily down on the warm earth all day. He barely registered the crunch of grass next to him as Go-go sat herself down.

"If you're here to try and cheer me up, don't bother," said Hiro flatly.

"That actually wasn't why I was here. I just-"

"Spit it out already," said Hiro harshly.

"Alright. I just wanted to say I know all too well what it's like to lose a sibling, especially an older one."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I had an older sister, Minwa. She was the one who raised me, since our folks didn't care much for us, especially our so-called 'mom'. As soon as she could afford an apartment, she took me with her and moved out. We were on a bit of a shoestring budget at first, but we were happy. A couple years ago, when I was seventeen, she was waiting for a bus when a guy came up to the crowd waiting for the bus, and started spraying bullets. Twenty people died instantly, and twenty-seven more were hospitalized with severe injuries. Minwa was one of the ones hospitalized, and she died two days later from her injuries."

"I heard about that. The Haidari bus stop Incident, right? Where did you go after that?"

"Yep. I came to live with my Nana here in San Fransokyo."

"Thank you for telling me. That honestly helps a lot, and I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"It's alright, I forgive you. How about I give you a ride home?"

"Really? Thank you."

"You're welcome."

**A/N: Sweet cheese and crackers, that took ages! I apologize that it took me almost four months to properly update. This is one of the last super-long chapters, and updates from this point on should be a tad bit more manageable. As always, let me know what you think in the reviews, and cookies for those who get the references I sometimes make. I am accepting submissions for OCs, so you can tell me about them in the reviews, where I've put some guidelines for the OCs, so hopefully you all are able to see the guidelines. Let me know if you can't. See you soon, True Believers!**


	5. His Fancy's Queen

**A/N: Whoever recognizes the fairly blatant references I make in this chapter, kudos to you. Also, Sakura's outfit for the wedding is her hero outfit, which I realize hasn't appeared yet, so here's a quick description for your convenience: formfitting, scarlet w/a grey stripe down the center, a dark wine-red knee-length cape that wraps loosely around her neck and shoulders, opera-length fingerless black gloves, utility belt, practical black boots, and a scarlet mask that covers the top half of her face, because domino masks do not a disguise make. Same sentiment goes for glasses. Anyways, enjoy, True Believers!**

The day of the wedding (A month or so after the fire)

An alarm blared a harsh good morning, the sleepy denizen of the room silencing it before it could annoy her into throwing it off the balcony or implementing a defenestration post-haste. Sakura, her mind still murky with sleep, asked herself why she was already awake when it was only eight-thirty. Only when her eyes fell upon her carefully laid-out costume, did her mind see fit to remind her- it was her wedding day!

Sakura jolted out of bed quicker than a bullet, excited and nervous for her big day. Once she had gotten dressed and her apartment had been sufficiently secured, she exited via the balcony. She soared above the city, her cape aflutter behind her.

As she approached the small, out-of-the-way church that the wedding was being held at, she felt surer of success today than she'd ever felt before. That's not to say she didn't feel nervous. After all, it was her wedding day.

She entered the church, practically shaking with excitement and anxiety. At about half-past nine, the guests began arriving. By ten o'clock the thirty-some guests, with several heroes such as Iron Man and Thor among their number, had filed into the church, waiting patiently as soft music began to waft. Even Mar-Vell and Shanna had come, taking a break from their adventures around the galaxy to be there for the wedding.

Sakura prepared to walk down the aisle, arm linked in her father's.

"I wish your mother could have seen you like this, little petal," whispered her father, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"I know, I do too. Also, the eighties called, it wants the supersuit back. "

"Har, har, har. Anyways, Tadashi better treat you like the queen you are."

"I know, but I don't think it's necessary to give him the shovel talk for the umpteenth time during my wedding," admonished Sakura.

"I can't even threaten him just a little?"

"Well, maybe a little bit, but subtly, alright?"

"Alright. Now, are you ready, petal?" inquired her father.

"As I'll ever be."

With that, they set off down the aisle, Toyataru beaming with fatherly pride every step of the way. As he gave her hand to Tadashi, he whisper-hissed, "You had best treat her like the queen she is, got that?"

Tadashi responded with a quiet, "Of course. She deserves nothing less."

After Toyataru had taken his seat, the clergyman began.

"Mawedge. That bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam. Wuv, twue wuv is why we awe gathewed today, to witness two souwls beinwg joindwed in howy matwimony. Begwin now the vows." With a deep breath, Tadashi began.

"My blossom, I love you. That will never change. I promise to always love, protect, honor, respect, and cherish you. In peace, war, rain, shine, sickness, or health, until such a time as death do us part, I take you as, under God and under law, my wife."

"My dragon, I love you, and I will stay by your side in every high and stormy gale. I promise to always love and cherish you, no matter what, until death do us part. I take you as, under God and under law, my husband."

The bishop asked, "Have yowu the wings?"

After the exchanging of the rings, the clergyman said, "Awe thewe any hewe that fink that these two shouwld not be mawwied, spewak now ow fowevew howd youw pweace." After a moment of silence the clergyman continued, "I now, by the powew vested in me, pwonouwnce you husbwand and wife."

With that, the happy couple exchanged a tender, chaste kiss.

As they soared above the city, Sakura said to Tadashi, "At the 'speak now or forever hold your peace' part, I half expected some villain or other to come crashing into the church. I'm actually surprised one didn't show up."

"Yeah, I'm honestly surprised that one didn't crash the wedding. Though I did hear a scuffle outside at one point."

"Well, it's nothing to be worried about, seeing as the wedding remained un-crashed," Sakura responded as they landed on her apartment's balcony. Once inside, Tadashi wrapped Sakura up in a loving, gentle embrace from behind, and promptly took a seat on the couch, Sakura in tow. Sakura swiftly decided snuggle up as close as humanly possible to him, because the season was nearing autumn, the days were growing chillier, and Tadashi made for an excellent heater.

"I hate to ask this now, but where are we going to live? It would be wholly impractical for you to visit one of the safe-houses all the time," inquired Tadashi.

"Don't you worry, wolf of my heart, for I have an answer. Dad purchased a house deep in the woods outside of town a few years back, and it's very secure. He gave it to me as a gift when I turned twenty last year. I'm certain that we won't be disturbed there."

"That sounds perfect. Now, what do you say we go to one of the safe houses and have a little 'alone time' together, my dear," purred Tadashi, his eyebrows arched seductively.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, my wolf. That is exactly what we ought to do," responded Sakura, her voice as smooth as melted butter. She leaned sideways, cupping a free hand to Tadashi's face, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"As you wish, my lady."

**A/N: I will never not love these two's interactions, and for those of you who don't get it, the clergyman officiating the wedding is obviously based off of (read: is) the Impressive Clergyman from the Princess Bride, which is a masterpiece, by the way. Till next time, True Believers!**

**P.S: So I kind of changed the ending of the chapter to be a tad bit more realistic, as my poor, naïve, innocent little brain did a bit of an oopsie. (I didn't take into account what newlyweds would do at the first chance they get, alright?) 0/0**


	6. Sweet as sugar

**A/N: As y'all can probably tell, this chapter is set roughly a year after the last one, give or take several months. The events of the latter part of BH6 have happened roughly four or five-ish months before this, and let us just say, Sakura and Tadashi have been *ahem* busy…**

In the waiting room of the private wing of the Maira Yang Hospital, Tadashi sat, waiting as he had been for hours. Sakura had been in labor for sixteen hours already, and Tadashi was feeling a jumble of emotions. He was terrified that something might go wrong, but he was also elated at the prospect of becoming a father, and while he had caught a couple short, fitful naps, he had, for the most part, been awake the entire time.

He had an inkling that it was almost over, as the occasional thoughts projected to him by Sakura had significantly lessened in both frequency and intensity. This was confirmed when he heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Mr. Hamada?" inquired the nurse. Tadashi was glad that he could use his real name in the private wing, as the few people that worked there were sworn to secrecy. Sakura had made sure of that.

"Yes?"

"The waiting period is over, you may go see them. They are in room two. Also, congratulations to both of you."

Tadashi bolted from his seat, a smile evident on his face. As he walked swiftly past the nurse, Tadashi said, "Thank you!"

When he reached the door of room two, Tadashi stopped, took a deep breath, and then opened the door. Inside, an extremely tired-looking Sakura lay on the bed holding not one, but two pink bundles. With a joyful sigh, Sakura quietly said, "Well, I figured out why my belly got as large as it did. There was two of them in there instead of one!"

"Evidently so. You know what this means?"

"No?"

"It means twice as much reason to be happy! We were only expecting one, but instead we got two. It's the best gift we could have gotten."

"Yes, it certainly is." At that moment one of the bundles wriggled and slowly opened its eyes, which were a rather dark brown.

"May I hold her?"

"Of course, you're her father. Do be careful. You hold her like this-okay, good. She definitely has your eyes. Her older sister's are blue, though the nurses told me that they may change color when she gets older. So, what should we name them?" responded Sakura as she handed her to Tadashi.

"How about we name the older one Asuna, like we planned, and the younger one Mitsuki, after my mother?"

"Sounds like a plan. I was thinking of giving them middle names. Any thoughts?"

"I like that idea. How about for Asuna, we give her the middle name Maira, after your mother, and for Mitsuki, how about Aiko."

"Aiko? Don't get me wrong, it's rather pretty, but is there any special significance behind that name?"

"Yeah, there actually is. You see, when I was born, I was actually part of a set of twins, but my twin sister was stillborn. My mother decided to give her the name Aiko, as she had always loved the name, and felt that even though Aiko was stillborn, she still deserved a name. I felt it would be a good tribute to her."

"Okay, you have my complete and total support on giving Mitsuki the middle name Akio." said Sakura as decisively as woman who had just experienced sixteen hours of labor could.

"I had a feeling that that was going to be your response. How about we call the nurse and ask how to get these two settled in, and then you sleep for as long as you can, alright? Because you, understandably enough, look about ready to drop."

"That sounds like a terrific idea. You go do that. Also, it looks as if Mitsuki is already out like a light."

Once Sakura and the twins were comfortable, the staff kindly directed Tadashi to a spare bed that he could use, and he swiftly fell into the sweet embrace of sleep.

-o0o-

**A/N: This was a short but sweet chappie. We get see the first couple kids, but let me tell you, you ain't seen nothin' yet. I plan for them to have a large family, maybe even have them adopt some kids. What do y'all think? How many kids should they adopt, officially or otherwise? (If you thought Bruce Wayne had a lot of kids, then prepare to be amazed.) Till next time, True Believers!**


	7. Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

**A/N: Sooo…. I realize it's been a little while, and I thought, hey my weekends are free for the foreseeable future, I might as well use (some of) them wisely! That means I'm going to try to post a little more often. (I hope.) So, here's a new chappie, True Believers. In this installment, Hiro encounters a hero that the city hasn't seen in a while…. (This happens a week or so after the last chappie)**

Hiro perched alone on the edge of a rundown apartment building, watching the dilapidated alley below warily. A cat with a shadowy coat slunk by his position. Two rough-looking women, one of whom was a great deal shorter than the other, had pulled into the alley minutes before in a red Miata that looked like it had seen better days, and were now engaged in a debate that was fast becoming a shouting match.

"What the heck were you thinking? It was a bad enough idea to pull that job, but to use this hunk of junk," said the taller woman as she gestured to the sad little car, "as a getaway car was the crowning idiocy of this entire situation! It doesn't even have a backseat, for crying out loud!"

"So?! They're built that way! Anyways, It's not my fault that the info we were given was outdated. That one's all on you! You're the one who thought that doing this job would be a good idea in the first place, you-"

"Ladies, as much as I may enjoy watching a good catfight, there seems to have been mention made of illegal activities, so I'm afraid I must insist you break it up." Hiro's attention snapped to the deep voice coming from the shadows at the edge of the alley. A sudden chill permeated the air.

The shorter woman said, "Who the h-" before she was tackled by a large ebony dog that shot out of the shadows where the voice had come from. The side of her head made contact with the concrete wall next her and she was knocked unconscious. The taller woman immediately lunged at the dog but her clawing hands met empty air. A black cat, using the woman's back as a springboard, leapt nimbly onto a nearby fire escape.

The shape of the cat shuddered and enlarged and soon enough, there was a tall male figure clad in a long coat where the cat had been seconds before.

The figure leapt to the wall across the alley, and using his legs to push off of the solid brick, he landed behind the woman, who gotten up and was now wildly searching for the dog. The figure speedily locked her in a choke hold. She flailed madly and attempted to break the hold by any means necessary, but soon she, like her comrade, fell into the blissful arms of unconsciousness.

Hiro sat, stupefied by what he had seen. Who was this man? For the figure was no mere boy, as his height and the musculature evident beneath his long coat and form-fitting costume readily attested. He could make out little of the figure's features due to a mask that covered the bottom half of his face and goggles that seemed to be fused to said mask. In fact, the only thing he knew for a certainty was that the figure had hair that looked like it had been molded out of shadows.

After securing the two unconscious felons and speaking into a comm of some sort –to alert the police, no doubt- the figure looked up, straight at where Hiro was perched. How did he know where he was? Wait, for that matter, how had he changed shape? Those questions were shoved to the back burner of Hiro's mind as a raven soared from the alley to a nearby rooftop, perching on a fortuitously located pipe.

Hiro was grateful that he'd decided to start carrying a grappling gun (of his own design), as it made getting around San Fransokyo stealthily that much easier. He quickly made his way over to the rooftop that the raven was perched on. As soon as the bird was certain his attention was focused on it, it flew off and landed on another rooftop. Hiro followed it as it flew rooftop to rooftop, certain that he was being lead somewhere. Whether for good or ill, he was not certain.

All of a sudden, the raven stopped. Hiro looked around and realized, to his amazement, that he had been so focused on the bird that he had only been dimly aware that he had been going higher and higher with every rooftop. He was now atop one of the grand skyscrapers that stood as silent guardians of the city below.

The sound of a throat clearing not far behind him caused him to turn on his heel. The figure from the alley was now leaning casually, arms crossed, against one of the walls of the roof access.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" asked Hiro tersely.

The figure, his voice deep and rich, with a quality that lent an air of mystery, replied "I am no one to be trifled with, and my goals are entirely my own. If you must know, I am known as Menagerie, and I am here to be give you advice about being a hero, vigilante, whatever you wish to call it- should you want it. I advise you take my offer, as it is very easy to fall victim to a classic blunder in this business, and all too easy to lose your life in the process."

"Why should I trust you? I don't know you."

"Good, you're learning already! You have no apparent reason to trust me, and good reason to be suspicious of me. For now at least, you needn't put your full faith in me, but know this-If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done so ten times over already," the figure stated, his voice almost seeming chipper one moment, and as serious as the grave the next.

Hiro's shoulders tensed minutely at the man's abrupt shift in tone.

"Why do you care whether I live or die? What would you stand to lose, should I fall?" replied Hiro, his tone snappish.

"I have my reasons. That is all I will say about it for the moment."

Menagerie – since that was what the figure had called himself – stood up to his full height and began to stride towards the rooftop's edge.

Hiro, his voice holding a tone of inquiry, said, "So, how will I find you?"

Menagerie, stopping at the edge of the rooftop, replied, "Don't worry about that. I will find you." before jumping off. A blur of feathers soon soared past Hiro's field of vision, and he snapped his head to the direction it had appeared to go.

He saw nothing but the night sky and the bright hustle and bustle of the city below.

**A/N: Another chapter rises from the ashes of my motivation! Hurrah! I have finally returned! This chapter took me about a month or two, because I was stuck on how to end this chapter for far too long, but you now have another chapter to read! Yay! About 200 people have looked at this fic, and I am thankful and grateful to every one of them. You all are my motivation to write. I would love to know your thoughts on my story. I am also accepting OC's (You will be given full credit for the OC) for this story, so if you submit an OC, I will personally consider each end every one for the story. Until next time, True Believers!**


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